How Can I Tell You
by twerkformaddy
Summary: She was Amity, and Divergent. When she joins Dauntless, she catches the eye of a certain Dauntless leader. Can Az get Eric to look past her role as just another Initiate? Will she be able to change his outlook on the Divergent? Eric/OC, Four/Tris.


**Hey. Trying something new here. **

**This story doesn't really follow the storyline of the books. It's a year after Tris ranked number one and she is now training the Initiates with Tobias. Nobody's dead, the uprising didn't happen, Jeanine Matthews doesn't exist. **

**I read the series back in December and haven't gotten the chance to re-read them so please excuse me, I'm a bit fuzzy on the small details. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**Azalea's POV**

It's time.

Not many surprises this year. Minimal swtiches. The most exciting thing was when a Dauntless born chose Abnegation. The room got kind of quiet, and the Dauntless looked at him as if he was a traitor. I feel bad for him.

Twenty more people.

I turn the choices over in my mind. My aptitude test turned out inconclusive. Tori, the Dauntless girl who administered my test, told me that I have the potential to be Erudite, Amity, Candor or Dauntless. She called me something-Divergent-and told me to keep it a secret, to tell nobody. I've kept my word and haven't told a soul. Although I don't like keeping secrets-that's probably the Candor inside of me-I know that it's necessary.

Ten more to go.

I've reduced my options since taking my aptitude test. Before, I was dead set on choosing either Amity or Erudite. Choosing Amity would mean staying with my family, my friends, living peacefully for the rest of my life. Choosing Erudite would mean no longer having to keep all these questions inside my head, like how was this thing made, or why does that thing work the way it does. But when Tori told me I was Divergent, it sent a chill down my spine, and when she said it was dangerous, a wave of adrenaline washed through me, leaving me breathless and wanting more.

Five.

I want that adrenaline back, I crave it.

Four.

And besides, do I really want to spend the rest of my life sitting around?

Three.

The boy who just went is wearing Erudite blue and when he slices his hand, he lets his blood drip into the Dauntless bowl. Cheers come from the Dauntless and he is recieved with grins and slaps on the back.

Two.

I watch, feeling a strange sense of longing.

One.

My sister Alexis rises from her seat and walks up to the bowls. She winces when she cuts her hand and my eyes widen when she chooses Abnegation and joins their sea of gray with a small smile.

Zero.

It's time.

I rise from my seat and hold my head high as I walk to the five silver bowls. I take the knife and drag it against my skin. It's not too bad. As I turn around to face the bowls and the five factions beyond, I hesitate. Is this what I really want?

I see the intense faces of the Dauntless staring expectantly at me. They're all muscular and tough looking, each one looking like they have a million and one stories to share.

It is what I want.

With a brave, determined smirk, I walk right up to the Dauntless bowl and let my blood drip into it, reveling in the cheers and hollers of the Dauntless.

* * *

**Tris' POV**

The Amity girl looks confused and indecisive as she stands with her hand bleeding in front of the five faction bowls, and I come to the conclusion that that's exactly how I looked when I had to choose exactly one year ago.

"I like her," I inform Tobias. He smiles down at me and kisses the top of my head.

The girl gains confidence and even smirks a little as she strides up to the Dauntless bowl and holds out her hand. I smile. "Now I really like her."

Eric walks into the room where Tobias, Christina and I are watching the ceremony on a monitor and whistles. "Stiff, Four, Christina, let's go," before walking right back out before anyone could say a word.

"Time to scare the hell out of some Initiates," Christina says with a wicked grin. I can't help my return grin and Tobias just smiles and shakes his head at us.

Once in the hallway, Tobias and I let Christina walk a little bit ahead of us and when she turns a corner Tobias presses me against the wall and forces his lips onto mine. My body immediately responds, wrapping my arms around him and deepening the kiss. A few moments, or lifetimes later, he breaks away and rests his forehead against mine. "I love you, Tris," he informs me, and I get the same butterflies I get everytime. "Not as much as I love you, Tobias." He grins and takes his hands off my waist, interlocking our fingers instead.

When we join Eric and Christina at the net, Eric grins mockingly at me. "So, looks like there's no Stiffs to jump first this time." I roll my eyes at him. "Give it a rest Eric" Tobias says in my defense.

"But in all seriousness," Christina interjects, "who do you think it will be this time?" I replay the choosing ceremony in my mind and say "The Amity girl." Tobias nods, Christina makes a so-so gesture with her hands and Eric's expression is unreadable.

"I hear them up there," someone says, and it goes quiet. I hear Uriah's voice yelling at the Initiates and share a smirk with Christina and Tobias. It takes a few more minutes before we hear a scream and see a flash of red hurtling towards us. I let out a triumphant "Yes!" as I see that it's the Amity girl. Tobias reaches out to grab her hand and help her out of the net but Eric beats him to it. She's a very pretty girl, with long, waist-length chestnut brown hair and big bluish-gray eyes, wearing a pretty red summer dress. I smile and open my mouth to say something but pause when I see Eric lean in and whisper something in her ear. Tobias and I share a concerned look as she replies and Eric smirks.

Eric pulls away from the girl and walks away, not making eye contact with anyone. As he disappears around the corner, I turn back to the girl. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are alive with excitement. I push Eric's weird behavior out of my mind and smirk at her. "I knew there was something I liked about you. Welcome to Dauntless."

* * *

**Azalea's POV**

Trains are exciting, especially jumping on one.

I jump in right after Uriah, the guy who's been leading us here. He's kinda cute, I guess. His grin hints at mischievousness.

"What's your name, Amity?" He asks me. I smile. "Azalea." He thinks it over. "That's nice," he finally says. Nobody else jumps into our car, and Uriah leans his head against the wall of the car. I sit next to him, leaving a comfortable amount of space between us. He opens one eye and looks at me curiously. "You're pretty brave, you know that? I think you might actually make it."

I'm not sure what to say. I blush and avert my eyes. "Thanks. I think."

"No problem" he says, closing his eyes again. I do the same and before I know it Uriah is shaking me awake. I groggily stand up and almost lose my shit when I see how high up we are. There are rooftops a bit across the way and I groan. Uriah grins at me. "We have to jump don't we?" I ask. He nods. "You'll do fine. Just don't think about it" he advises me before leaping across the gap and landing on his feet on the roof.

I gasp.

Think Dauntless.

Or in other words, don't think, like Uriah said.

I brace myself and run, pushing of the edge of the train car and landing safely on the rooftop. I roll a few times but don't hurt myself too badly. I brush myself off and join Uriah. "Not bad," he compliments. I just nod, my adrenaline hindering my ability to speak.

Once all the other Initiates were safely on the rooftop, Uriah raises his voice and starts yelling at us about bravery and what it means to be Dauntless. I tune him out and peek over the edge of the rooftop, and my heart races. Is that a hole down there...?

"Amity!" Uriah yells and I know he's talking to me. "Since you're so interested in the entrance to Dauntless why don't you be the first one to jump?"

His mischievous grin has me nervous. Jump? You've got to be kidding me.

I turn back to see some people sniggering at me, and that makes up my mind for me.

I step up onto the ledge and take a deep breath. "What happens if I miss the hole?" I call back to Uriah. His nonchalant response doesn't scare me as much as it probably should. "You die."

I take a deep breath and jump.

The wind rushes past me and I scream with exhilaration. I land on something bouncy and supportive and I let out an involuntary giggle. Damn, that was something.

I see a hand and I take it without thinking, allowing myself to be helped up onto solid ground. I look back and see that I landed on a sturdy looking net. So cool.

I turn to thank whoever it is that helped me and my thank you sticks in my throat.

He is very tall and attractive, with dark longish hair and multiple piercings. His eyes are gray and somewhat distant, and his manner is assertive and commanding. He leans in awfully close and murmurs in my ear, "What's your name, Amity?" His voice is deep and somewhat husky and he smells like a mixture of sweetness and pure guy. "Azalea," I say quietly, a bit dazed. He chuckles and his cool breath travels down the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. "Too pretty for Dauntless; go by Az" he says and before I can respond he pulls away, his lips brushing my earlobe and walks away, not glancing back.

I feel my face flush and fight the urge to bite my bottom lip. It's a nervous habit that I developed when I was a child and it irritates my parents to no end.

Well. Irritated, I guess.

I see three people a bit older than me smirking at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"I knew there was something I liked about you," a blonde girl said. She wore form-fitting black jeans and an off-the shoulder black top that showed off her tattoos. Ravens? Crows? "Welcome to Dauntless."

She holds out her hand and I shake it. "Thanks."

The guy she was standing next to offers his hand too. "I'm Four, this is Six and that girl over there is Christina... oh and that guy that helped you out of the net is Eric." Four, as his name is, is tall and muscular and attractive, but not as attractive as the other guy was, Eric. Eric. Hmmm. "I'm Az," I introduce myself. The girl called Six nods in approval, and I send Eric a silent thank you.

Four holds my hand up high and announces in a loud voice: "The first jumper: Az!" Cheers erupt from all the Dauntless and I feel the blood rush to my cheeks.

Six opens her mouth to speak but is interrupted by yelling, and the next Initiate, the Erudite boy who went a little before me at the ceremony, falls onto the net. Four helps him out. "Welcome to Dauntless, what's your name?"

"Aaron" the boy responds.

When all ten of the Initiates have jumped, Uriah follows and him and Christina walk away, chatting amiably.

Four informs us that he and Six will be our trainers. "We're gonna show you guys around, give you a tour, then you better get some sleep. You'll be kicking yourselves tomorrow if you don't," Six tells us with a smirk.

I think I like it here.

* * *

**Wasabi. **

**I know I changed Eric's appearance a bit but I'm trying to make him a love interest and they way he was portrayed in the Divergent books didn't really suit the picture I had in my head. **

**Do me a favor and drop me a review? Thanks lovelies. **

**Xoxo twerkformaddy ~**


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